In Case You Missed It - April 24

CEO Josh Lockwood caught up with a former displaced resident that the Red Cross helped last year. Now,this cute pup is in training to be a Red Cross Therapy dog! Talk about paying it forward!

Over the last 7 days, the Greater New York Red Cross provided emergency assistance to 117 adults and 41 children following 45 local disasters. Here are some highlights from last week and a preview of upcoming activities. (see below)

Last Week in Review

• On Sunday, rock star Red Crosser Matthew Jedwab held his first “Helping Through Hoops” charity basketball tournament to raise money (and exceeded his goal, might we add) for our “Sound the Alarm” campaign. Thanks for all your help Matthew!
• Our third annual Disaster Ready Summit took place this weekend where Red Cross volunteers and employees had the opportunity to broaden their skill sets and become #RedCrossReady. Check out some social media highlights:
• Assemblyman Richard Gottfried stopped by to swear in and administer a pledge to our amazing class of AmeriCorps members.
• Red Crosser Celia Vollmer taught a seminar all about feeding fundamentals.
• Another Red Crosser, Matthew Hurst, moderated a panel, about the effective use of social media during disasters. The panel also featured the Red Cross’ social media team as well as Allison Pennisi, from the NYC Emergency Management Department.
• Volunteer Jennifer Pearsallwas also on deck and conducted a presentation on the most effective way to deploy – teaching everyone the how to’s they need to know!

• Lohud, covered an apartment fire that broke out on Friday evening that displaced multiple residents in Chestnut Ridge. The Red Cross was on the scene to help these displaced residents throughout the night.
• This past Thursday, Red Cross Hero Lori-Ann Spaccarelli-Pizzarelli was honored with a Woman of Distinction Award from Assemblywoman Christine Pelligrino for her contributions as the Home Fire Preparedness Lead for Long Island. It’s because of extraordinary people like Lori-Ann that the Red Cross can help those in need. Big congratulations to Lori-Ann!
• Animal Rescue organization Big Paws Crossed, thanked the Red Cross earlier this month for the donations from Red Crossers like you! 
• On Monday, CEO Josh Lockwood found a nice surprise! Bumping into a man and a dog that Lockwood helped during a home fire in December 2017. Lockwood found out the resident’s dog will be finishing training to be a Red Cross therapy dog. Paying it forward!
• The kickoff for our huge “Sound The Alarm” campaign is only a few days away and so many people have teamed up with us to #EndHomeFires. Last week we featured a few more of our partners: Councilmember Dr. Mathieu Eugene, Senator Gustavo Rivera, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Councilmember Ritchie Torres, and Councilmember Vanessa L. Gibson.

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• If you’re a mission-focused undergraduate or graduate college student seeking a meaningful internship experience, then apply to our Red Cross Program—a rare opportunity to explore and enrich your future career prospects while serving others. Apply here: http://bit.ly/2x9lnqV
• April 25, 26, 28, 30: Red Cross blood drives will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Greater NY Red Cross building located at 520 West 49th Street, Manhattan. Schedule an appointment to donate today.
• April 27: Prior to the Red and White Ball, we will be holding a panel discussion with hero honorees Taylor Winston and Shiva Ghaed who were both in attendance at the tragic Las Vegas mass shooting that occurred at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on October 1, 2017. Both have been instrumental in the rescue and recovery of the concertgoers as they put their lives back together after the traumatic event. Stay tuned for more details.
• April 28: The Red and White Ball is the major source of funding for the American Red Cross in Greater New York. The Ball will feature live and silent auctions; wine and food; and music and dancing. Please join us for this black tie event. 
• April 28, May 6, 12: Major “Sound the Alarm” fire safety smoke alarm installation events are coming to the Bronx on April 28 and in Brooklyn on May 6 and 12 and we need your help to install free smoke alarms in at-risk neighborhoods and to educate families on preparing for fires. Sign up by calling 877-733-2767 or by visiting www.soundthealarm.org/nyc. 
• May 1: The Red Cross is holding a panel discussion between experts in humanitarian and global affairs about the many “silent” disasters that occur and the humanitarian implications of their lack of visibility. RSVP for the free panel here. 
• May 17: The American Red Cross Young Patrons are hosting an “Evening Under the Stars,” a summer rooftop networking soiree. You can find out more and buy tickets here.